Monday, October 10, 2016

Born in Manhattan, Tony Moreno, was raised by his mother, Nina Dunkel Moreno, who was considered one of the great American harpists of her day, as well as an accomplished pianist, musicologist and teacher. His early upbringing proved a perfect backdrop to pursue a career in music. By the age of three, Moreno began playing the piano. By the age of ten, he received his first drum set from Elvin Jones.

Jones became Moreno’s early mentor and teacher. In later years, other teachers included Art Blakey, Al “Tootie” Heath, James Priess, Freddie Waits and Bob Moses.

When Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast shore in 2012, Moreno lost his entire musical life – his instruments, possessions, the library of his compositions and treasured, archival possessions bequeathed from his mother.

“After Hurricane Sandy destroyed my studio, I was offered a monthly residency at The 55 Bar for the Quintet,” says Moreno. “This record is a way of expressing my gratitude for the outstanding support and love I received within the music community – from colleagues, organizations and fans alike.”

“The band is made up of artistic companions who have performed together over four years,” the drummer explains. “Since I lost my drum set, I purchased a small keyboard and began composing again. It was, of course, cathartic. It was time to document the group. We had enough music for two CDs. I had to clean the slate and move on.”

On October 8th the Quintet will celebrate the record release of Short Stories at the 55 Bar in New York City with two sets at 9.30 pm and 11.30 pm. With admission, every guest will receive a double-disc album for free.

Moreno teaches at New York University’s Jazz Performance Program and Columbia University’s Louis Armstrong Jazz Studies Program as well as at City College of New York. He has performed and toured extensively. The drummer lived and worked in Europe for six years, and appeared on over 100 recordings, as well as television, DVDs and radio broadcasts.

Michel Camilo & Tomatito have been gathering each other for more than 30 years in an almost predestined way. They first met back in 1984 at Madrid´s Sports Hall dressing rooms, during the city´s Jazz Festival. Michel was the pianist of Paquito D'Rivera´s Quintet while Tomtit was guest artist of Puerto Rican percussionist Ray Barretto. They came across each other but yet did not hang out. Then they met again in 1990, when Michel was producing Ketama’s album Pa’gente con alma (Philips, 1991). At that time, they were working on different projects but Tomatito recalls feeling really intrigued by the sounds he heard from the adjacent recording studio.

It was at the 1998 Barcelona International Jazz Festival and thanks to their invitation to collaborate that both artists finally performed two songs together at the Palau de la Música which were later featured in their celebrated first album, Spain (Lola Records, 2000): Chick Corea´s "Spain" and the Mexican standard by Consuelito Velázquez, "Bésame mucho".

Their amazing performance was both hailed by critics and public who enthusiastically shared their enjoyment, cementing both artists willingness to take the challenge of embarking on a project together.

As one of the most praised contemporary music duos tells us, the beginning was not easy. Guitar and piano had not traditionally merged in fruitful alliances due to the preconception that these instruments’ sonorities would not jell. Michel Camilo & Tomatito overcame that prejudice with absolute respect for each other´s sound and instrument, eventually creating a new canon. Aroused by each other´s performance, each other´s search of spaces and their mutual delicacy in building harmonies, they both agreed to record Spain selecting the finest repertoire which served as the perfect tip on what their next installment artscape would take them: Latin sounds, Jazz, Flamenco and Cinema were the 4 cornerstones of such a seminal record.

The resultant international tour in support of the album was a stunning audience and critical success on each and every stage of the 5 continents they performed, becoming also the catalyst for its natural follow up, Spain Again (Emarcy / Universal, 2006). Michel Camilo & Tomatito tested their future repertoire by introducing new songs in their live performances every night without prior notice. Subsequently, Spain Again features, after the public granted a warming welcome, an Astor Piazzola´s rendition (with a long suite dedicated to the Argentinian composer), an homage to the finest Latin songs ("El día que me quieras"), as well as to the Classic Jazz standards ("Stella by Starlight") and obviously a wink to the responsible for much of it all, Chick Corea ("La fiesta"). As they had done previously, also this time around Michel Camilo & Tomatito started working on testing their repertoire live for their next release (the latest stage of their saga).

In Spain Forever (Universal Music Spain, 2016) there is a relevant aesthetic quality that differs from their previous works. There is a calmer tone to it that radiates from the deeper knowledge of a long time relationship. The duo’s language is wiser, there are more silences, more pauses and there is respect for the individual space but also the aim for more complexity in the shared grounds. Almost 20 years have passed and Spain Forever keeps good track of it like a rear view mirror snapshot of the two starring characters. Michel Camilo & Tomtito open the new album with a personal homage paid to one of their favourite artists, Brazilian guitarist and composer Egberto Gismonti, making a lyrical version of his classic "Agua e vinho". The next tribute to the late double bass player Charlie Haden takes the form of an intimate rendition of his "Our Spanish Love Song". And then the Spain Again link is settled with a dramatically beautiful cover of the notorious Astor Piazzolla´s milonga "Oblivion" with an almost orchestral arrangement. Erik Satie´s "Gnossienne no 1" opens the repertoire to the Mediterranean Sea in an Arabic style of melodic originality as minimalistic as impressionistic.

When revisiting Cinema Paradiso´s musical themes, Camilo and Tomatito chose an atmospheric sea mood with the aim to bring the Mediterranean lights palette and colors into the score. As a search of their personal imprint, their version is an improvisation of the famous love song full of spaces and freedom (with original music by Ennio Morricone). One of the album surprises is the track "Nuages" by jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Tomatito is a self confessed admirer and Michel is an early jazz piano or stride piano connoisseur (Scott Joplin, but also the later versions done by Art Tatum or Oscar Peterson) making a smart and rhythmic signature version of a classic jazz manouche. "Manhã de Carnaval" (Luiz Bonfá / Antônio Maria) is the central theme of the famous film Black Orpheus (Marcel Camus, 1959): Camilo and Tomatito departed from Paco de Lucia's notorious version (along with John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola) and carried it from there towards a more melancholic land, rich of harmonies inspired by the romantic day after Rio de Janeiro´s Carnival- music and photography. “About you" is an original lullaby penned by Michel Camilo that proves to fit perfectly on a carnival´s tail- a quiet chilling space, a track where Tomatito shows his skills as a flamenco master on classical guitar.

Then the ending number for the 3rd installment, which is a tribute to one of the saga forerunners: "Armando's Rumba", an original by Chick Corea dedicated to his father, which the duo kicks in stillness till a sudden mid-stream burst of rhythm and fire exploding uncompromisingly while blending Flamenco & Latin Jazz as a perfect ending to the 3rd chapter of the Spain trilogy... But, who knows?

We can´t but wait that Michel Camilo & Tomatito shall want to try yet a new repertoire before worldwide audiences in this brand new tour so that the seeds for their future new work would bloom at the right time. The door is still open.

Bringing a thoroughly contemporary sound to the piano and keyboards, Bugge Wesseltoft made a huge impact in his homeland during the '90s. After that, he toured internationally, working in both jazz and rock contexts. In the early '90s he was a member of Arild Andersen's band, and played on Jan Garbarek's Molde Canticle, a commission from the Molde Jazz Festival. With both of these artists, he blended in well with the postmodern concepts of ECM Records. Other artists with whom he worked during these years were guitarists Terje Rypdal and Jon Eberson, and singer Sidsel Endresen. With the latter, he was on her commissioned project for the Molde Jazz Festival, which was recorded for ECM. His own commissioned work, A Little War Story, was performed at the 1993 Vossa Jazz Festival. In 1995, Wesseltoft formed his own band, New Conception of Jazz, and the Jazzland record label, the first album from which was awarded a Spellemannprisen (the Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy) in the following year. In the mid-'90s he toured and recorded with Billy Cobham, Endresen, and Garbarek again, appearing on the latter's Rites.During these years and on to the end of the decade, his music found an audience among those who inhabited Norway's techno and dance music scenes. This connection with the club world led to the 2000 release of Jazzland Remixed, which enhanced his reputation even more with that audience. Firmly committed to electronic music, Wesseltoft completely eschewed acoustic forms and was just as adamant that he would not be tied by genre boundaries, bringing hip-hop and other contemporary dance music forms into his concept of contemporary jazz. On 1998's Sharing, he raised some eyebrows by his extensive use of club DJs and scratchers.

After being a wonderful partner for Paolo Fresu in his Devil Quartet, Paolino Dalla Porta decides to make a different journey.WIth three young and talented musicians he usually plays with, his debut with Tuk Music is a perfect musical bridge between past and present, contemporary and jazz.

2016 has been a great year for us. 16 releases in all! That's almost double what we have done in previous years. As we approach the year's end and the last (but not least) records for 2016, we thought we would remind you of the great recordings we've released this year. Thanks

“One of the greatest piano players not only in the UK but in the world…[Jason] really manages to create something deeply emotional. He tells an incredible story throughout the record just with his fingers on the keyboard. It’s really up there with my favourite solo piano albums….it’s lovely to hear it…” JAMIE CULLUM, BBC RADIO 2

'Wolf Valley, is a really great album. Not only does it contain well written and original compositions...it’s also full of creative instrumentation and virtuoso performances from the strong 8-piece orchestra'. JAZZNYTT

'Packed with pop, jazz and contemporary classical references, it’s typically whimsical-sounding Galvin music (there’s a real Punch and Judy show sample in the opener) but steered by an unblinking artistic focus that has nothing whimsical about it at all'. GUARDIAN

Subterranea is the debut album from six piece ensemble Mosaic, led by 2015 Kenny Wheeler Jazz Prize winner and British vibraphonist Ralph Wyld. A musician of real depth and creativity, Ralph Wyld has been described by Jazzwise Magazine as ‘one to look out for’ and has been praised by the FT for this ‘rhythmic accuracy and panache’.

The Space Between is the second album by long-term friends & guitarists Stuart McCallum and Mike Walker, The Space Between is an album that expresses McCallum and Walker’s abiding love of melody and space, their friendship and respect, and the multifarious sounds and timbres that their instrument has to offer.